Wedding cake isn’t meant only to be eaten at weddings.
Learn how to make your own at home for unlimited happiness.
It’s been four years since I redid this recipe, but it’s also my birthday week, which has me thinking about cake. This cake is a delicious way to celebrate many a special occasion, not just weddings and anniversaries.
The original post from August 2020
On my husband’s and my first anniversary, I ordered a mini version of our wedding cake to take on our overnight away. The surprise dessert was a hit. On our second anniversary the bakery that had made our cake was closed. I could have searched for a different bakery, but as one who like to bake I took it as an opportunity. I was going to make my own wedding cake.
This personal baking mission had two challenges: determining the flavor that makes wedding cake its own unique cake and figuring out how to decorate the cake.
The first challenge was really not much of a challenge at all, thanks to the land of the internet. A quick search and I learned that almond extract is what gives wedding cake its unique flavor. How I hadn’t determined that previously, I’m not sure. One challenge overcome.
The second challenge became more of a compromise with myself. When I make wedding cake on our anniversary, it is for just my husband and me. Cake decorating is not my strong suit. I humbly will state that I bake very well and make food that tastes great, but my frosting skills are just meh. So, I decided that as long as the cake looked decent but tasted amazing I was all set.
For the past ten anniversaries I have made our wedding/anniversary cake with my original recipe. This year with much more time at home I thought about the cake that I have made. It was good but not great. That thought propelled me down a rabbit hole of cake research. What I discovered was that my wedding cake needed a pinch more sugar and a decent amount more butter.
The cake that this recipe produced was moister with a nicely dense crumb. It’s sturdy enough to support the weight of fruit filling and buttercream while also being tender. Although my other recipe served me well, this will be my go-to version for years to come.
For an elegant cake, that isn’t meant only for weddings and anniversaries, this is a recipe you should try. Forget plain old yellow cake, and give this wedding cake a try.
Wedding Cake Revisited
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/4 cups milk
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350.
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Grease and flour 2 9-inch rounds baking pans.
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Cream butter with sugar until fluffy.
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Add eggs, and beat well.
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While mixing add almond extract.
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In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
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Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix just to combine.
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Add half of the milk and, again, mix just to combine.
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Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
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Pour batter into prepared pans.
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Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove cake from pans and place on baking rack to cool completely.
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Decorate cake with buttercream frosting and filling. Click here for my buttercream recipe.
Notes
If making the full recipe, my recipe for buttercream frosting will need to be doubled.
